Not Any Heavy Thing
by wowsugarpuss
Summary: Veronica breaks down in the desert. AU from S1.


1.

Veronica tailed the guy out of Neptune. Keith Mars may not have thought that following Mr. Rod Anthony would be all that productive, but she knew better and Veronica was determinedly focused on the six thousand dollar bonus dangling just in front of her nose.

_Some __info, a little tracking – cake_, she thought just before the newly refurbished Le Baron sputtered and slowed along the dusty road.

So much for Daytona.

Pulling onto the side of the road Veronica heard the engine give one last creaking gasp before letting out. Fifteen minutes later she was covered in motor oil, there were no cars on the road, and the Le Baron was still refusing to budge. With her dad due home the next day and herself stuck in the desert about six hours from Neptune Veronica was beginning to think that she could very well be screwed.

The lovely Mr. Anthony had disappeared into the dirt not long after she had broken down and the traffic had since then thinned down to nothing in the early afternoon heat. It was almost unbearable and Veronica crawled back into the driver's seat of the now defunct Le Baron – seeking some shade from the blistering rays. Cell phone in hand she began to scroll through her contacts.

Wallace. He would be the obvious choice to call for help, but with her dad still dating Alicia and this rescue mission requiring almost a whole day's absence by the time he both found and returned her, Veronica figured there was no way that could happen without it somehow getting back to her dad.

Duncan. Yeah, well, there wasn't anyone she could think of that would make a six hour car journey quite as awkward as Duncan would. They could talk about that extra special year when he thought she was his sister and devirginised her anyway, maybe skim over his rejection and if she was especially lucky they would discuss Lilly and/or Logan.

She pursed her mouth at mention the of both those names and quickly continued to flick through her phone book. Mac – no. Meg – no. Random 09ers that should have been deleted so long ago it was barely funny – double no. She paused, thumb hovering over the call button when she saw Weevil's name, until she quickly remembered, _bike, not car._

Sighing she flicked back to the Ls, found a particularly familiar name and reluctantly hit 'call'. She was surprised Logan answered at all.

Listening as the call picked up she heard, "Wrong number." 

"Logan?"

"Yeah, the Sherriff's 555-830. You get back to whoever you were turning in now," he finished bitterly.

"Wait, don't hang up."

"Why?"

Veronica was loath to admit that he had a point, she hadn't really given Logan any reason _not_ to hang up on her. She could only hope at this point that he was feeling a) nostalgic, b) masochistic or as a weak long-shot c) horny. She was pretty sure those were the only reasons he would actually drive down six-odd hours into the middle of the desert for her. Even then she was reaching a little.

"I need a favour," she tried cautiously.

Logan almost choked as he snorted down the phone, "Are you kidding me?"

"I've kind of broken down… six hours into the desert."

"Get a tow."

She swallowed, "Yeah. I can't – my dad doesn't know where I am."

"So?" he questioned, and Veronica wondered why he was still on the line. Bolstered slightly by the fact that Logan hadn't immediately hung up she continued.

"He will when he gets the bill."

"Right," he drawled, "and this is my problem, how?"

"It's not," she sighed in frustration. "That's why it's called a favour."

There was a short pause before he bit out, "Call Duncan. I'm sure he'd _love_ to come get you."

"I don't really _want_ to spend six hours in a car with Duncan," she admitted.

"Well then," he started coldly, "you can see where I'd have a problem picking you up."

That stung. Veronica blinked as her eyes became gritty, blaming any watering on the harsh sunlight and the flying dust that was being kicked up by a light breeze. There was a prolonged silence and Veronica presumed Logan was waiting for a smart remark back, none came.

"Call your dad," he finished eventually.

Veronica's tongue pushed against the inside of her cheek in a nervous manner before she replied, "Can't – even if I wanted to. He's in Arizona."

"Well, isn't that just dandy," sarcasm coloured Logan's voice.

"Look, Logan. There's no one left for me to call so if you're not going to come get me could you just say – 'cause I have a hell of a walk ahead of me."

"Don't be stupid, Veronica."

"What?"

"How the hell are you going to walk home?"

"I guess we'll find out," she shrugged into the receiver.

There was a long pause, Veronica straining to hear if Logan was still there. "Where are you?" he sighed in frustrated resignation.

Veronica smiled to herself, stretching out her legs a little as she gave Logan some road names and a general direction. The sun was still blazingly hot as she hung up and started the long wait for him to reach her, six hours with nothing and nobody around. Oh, it was going to be fun.

2.

Veronica woke up to the sound of impatient tires on dusty gravel. Squinting out into the light, which was now slightly dimmed she could make out Logan's hugely inconspicuous SUV heading towards her. She dragged a hand over her dry, red eyes and tried to ignore the pounding in her skull from falling asleep in mostly direct sunlight – grabbing a bottle of water from her bag to ward off the dehydration.

Logan pulled up next to her, not bothering to get out of the car as he leaned out the window and raised his eyebrows expectantly, "You gonna get in, or did I drive out here for fun?"

"Just, give me a minute," she winced, moving clumsily out of her seat and stumbling slightly round to the passenger's side – sandwiched between the two cars – as she retrieved her bag, pulling a jacket out of the back.

"Pass the time drinking?" he smirked as Veronica shook her head in pain.

"No. But sitting in the sun isn't the most fun ever," she clarified, yanking open his car door with much more force than was actually required.

"If only you'd actually listened to somebody else and not run off on a Veronica Mars special," he muttered.

"What?"

"You're not always right," he explained, simply.

Veronica had to wonder how long he had been waiting to tell her that – probably from the second he found out that she had turned him in. Six hours of _I told you so's _– this was going to be almost as fun as listening to Duncan talk about how good they were together and all the good old times and the general goodness that was them – as a couple. Together. She figured that she must be a glutton for punishment since she had turned down phoning the boy who adored her in favour of one who at best severely resented her.

_I'm so functional_, she thought wryly.

Logan caught her smile as he kick-started the ignition and stared at her questioningly. Veronica merely shrugged, leaning back into the cool stream of the A/C as her eyes fell closed and they started back down the filthy open road.

They had been driving for about fifteen minutes when Veronica decided it was time for someone to finally say something, "Thanks."

"Huh?" he muttered distractedly, bored into a lull.

"Thanks, for coming to get me," she clarified.

"Don't worry," an almost-smile curled his lips up, "I won't make a habit of it."

"Well next time I'll make sure to have a tow lined up… or a really good pair of walking shoes."

"If you were _really_ clever you'd get a car that ran," he pointed out.

"No, you mean if I was really _rich_," she shot back.

Logan opened his mouth to respond but Veronica took pity and cut him off, "Not all our dads can afford to hand out cars like candy."

Logan shut down, his expression turning cold as his fingers gripped the steering wheel tighter and Veronica realised what she had said.

"Yeah, you can have the car if we can trade dads," he gritted out, trying to be blasé and failing spectacularly.

"Sorry."

"Don't start apologising now, Veronica. Hell might actually freeze over, and I want to make sure it's nice and toasty when that bastard ends up there."

"You really want him to get death?" she asked, voice small.

Logan's hands leaped off the steering wheel before falling back down with a loud thump, "You know what?" he raised his eyebrows at her, mouth pressed into a tight line, "we're not talking about this."

"Okay."

Awkward silence pervaded the car as they continued down the long, straight road. Veronica fiddled with the dash, played with her seat recliner at least four or five times and religiously adjusted the A/C settings until Logan finally broke the silence – tired of watching her fidget.

"So, what the hell were you doing out here anyway?"

"Just tailing some guy," she answered vaguely.

"Six hours into the desert?"

"He's involved in some kind of small-time drug ring: coke, hookers, guys in suits – his wife gets proof and her bonus pays for my first year of college," she expanded with what she hoped was a casual shrug.

"Nice."

"Yeah." It wasn't exactly time to share and grow – Logan had barely tolerated giving her a ride – so Veronica kept her mother's kleptomaniac ways to herself, seething inwardly.

"What's up?" he tossed the concern her way without looking over.

"Nothing," she lied easily. Logan's next expression was inscrutable but Veronica figured it had something to do with her not trusting him, so she finished with something that was at least partly true, "Headache."

He nodded absentmindedly to the windscreen, "Check the glove compartment."

She popped it open obediently and quickly spotted the small, green first-aid kit. Unzipping the rough nylon cover a packet of band-aids fell into her lap, followed by some dehydration wipes, small bandages, painkillers, safety pins and other medical paraphernalia.

Shaking a carefully wrapped cure for dehydration in his direction she complained, "This would've been really handy, like forty-five minutes ago."

Logan shrugged, affording her a quick glance, "Forgot."

He seemed genuine and Veronica let it drop as she plucked two small, white pills from their tiny plastic bubbles and grabbed the half-empty bottle of water still sitting in her bag. She grimaced as the warm liquid washed the pills tepidly down her throat, she then began to retrieve the AWOL medical supplies from her lap, replacing them in the case.

"Maybe next time you just don't open it upside down," Logan suggested.

Veronica was too tired and foggy to snap back with any real vigour, "I didn't _know_ it was upside down."

"What? You forgot how to read?"

"Yes, Logan, that's exactly what happened. You don't really need English when you're working the streets so _obviously_ I've fallen a little behind – what's your excuse?" her voice was dripping with so much sarcasm that she was almost embarrassed that she was unable to think of something that might actually have been classed as witty.

"I've been down there working you," he winked evilly, casting a sly look over to her blushing face.

"And to think I actually let myself be referred to as your girlfriend for a whole half hour."

"Hey, that's quite an accomplishment considering you thought I was a murder for at least ten of those minutes," he remembered coldly. "In fact you wanna share what exactly it was about that party that made me a murderous fiend?"

"It wasn't the party…" Veronica swallowed, not liking the turn of this latest conversation. "You lied about your alibi, Logan, that's the only reason I turned you in."

"So… you just hit curfew and forgot to say goodbye, then?" he asked nastily.

"I saw the cameras and I thought—"

Her sentence hung in the air, silence stretching out, and Veronica was just about to try and explain when Logan burst out laughing. He was still trying to quell the amusement bubbling up from his lungs when he turned his head to her.

"You thought I was going to tape you," he was grinning in disbelief.

Veronica was taken aback as she looked away, "Well, kind of. I don't know."

Logan sobered slightly, clutching the wheel once more as he turned back from her, "Well, then it's lucky we did break up – 'cause you don't know me at all."

Veronica sighed softly, preparing herself for yet another long silence.

3.

"Veronica."

Veronica remained unconscious, lounging unceremoniously in her seat, skin stuck to the leather interior with the heat.

"Veronica!"

She started awake at the sound of Logan's raised voice, turning to face him she scowled deeply, "What?"

"You can't expect me to take a twelve hour roundtrip for you while you _nap_," he bitched.

"You want me to drive?" she yawned, stretching her arms out in front of her.

Logan made an amused noise in the back of his throat, "Like I'd let you."

"What? I'm a good driver," she protested.

"Who's very nearly unconscious." he rolled his eyes. "I've become fond of my neck, I'd prefer for it to remain unbroken."

"Well, _what_ then?" she drew her eyebrows together in annoyance.

"Talk."

"Usually you can't get me to shut up fast enough," she observed.

"Yeah, well, I'm bored. There's nothing on the radio and the next gas station isn't for at least an hour – so, talk," he demanded.

"Fine," she yawned again, "about?"

"I don't know," he paused, "how you been?"

"Great," she gritted out.

He sighed in irritation, "Nice, Veronica."

"Well it was a stupid question."

"I was just being polite."

"In future I'd suggest just sticking to the old classics."

"Fine, so do you want me to rag on your mom first? Or your apartment?" he launched straight into being a jackass. "Maybe we could discuss how you've wasted a whole year and a half pawing through shit for Lilly when she turned out to be a straight up bitch after all."

She drew in a long breath before replying drowsily, "Fuck you, Logan." For once, it just wasn't worth the fight.

"So," he asked pleasantly, "how're you?"

Veronica sighed audibly, turning to look out her window as she attempted to hide the annoyed smile tugging at her lips. After a good, solid five minutes of half-hearted sulking Veronica finally answered his question.

"I'm okay," she offered.

"Cool."

They kept driving as she asked his question back, "what about you?"

"I have nothing better to do than drive you around, what do you think?" he huffed.

Veronica remained quiet; Logan's fingers began to drum against the steering wheel. Veronica fidgeted with the electric windows, Logan started twitching his knee.

"If it's really that awful talking to me just go back to sleep."

"Huh?" she looked up.

"If you're just going to sit and ignore me then you might as well be asleep," he explained sullenly.

"I'm not ignoring you. I'm tired and dehydrated and I probably have sunstroke," she pointed out, irritated and in no mood to sooth Logan's ego.

"Fine, whatever."

Veronica shook her head disdainfully before curling back down into her seat – facing away from him – and closing her eyes again, hoping that she would be able to drift back into unconsciousness.

It was a good half hour later that Veronica finally woke and looked over to find Logan staring out passively at the ever extending road tinged with pink-gold from the sun that was preparing to set. She watched him silently as he sighed, reaching down between them without taking his eyes off the road to retrieve a pair of ridiculously priced sunglasses – slipping them on without any acknowledgement that she was now awake.

"Am I getting the silent treatment?" she asked finally.

"You're not exactly chatty yourself," he replied.

"It's difficult," she admitted, her voice jolting and frustrated.

"To be with me?" he asked.

"I'm not _with_ you, Logan."

"You know that's not what I meant."

"It's difficult in general," she blurted out, "everything's difficult, right now."

"Yeah," he accepted.

"Has it really been that bad?" she asked. "The summer?"

"Pretty much."

"Well, I'm sorry – for what it's worth."

Logan was almost hopeful when he asked, "For turning me in?"

"In a generally sympathetic way," she amended.

"Well, you can take your 'sorry' and shove it right up your—"

"Logan!" she knocked the back of her hand harshly against his arm, "Shut up." She sighed, "You don't _have_ to default to jackass."

"Feeling pretty justified about the whole thing actually," he shot back resentfully.

"I'm sorry, okay? I am. I'm—"

Logan cut her off as he pulled the car into a swift curve, heading to the side of the road, "Gas station."

Veronica let her eyes close, a soft groan flooding her mind as he stalked out of the car – leaving her behind.

4.

Logan rounded the side of the car to fill up the tank and Veronica sat dully, not bothering to look back at him.

A yawn stretched out her lips as she tried to avoid feeling guilty about anything Logan-related – in the end he had lied to her too and so really, weren't they both in the same boat? She figured that given the circumstances – although they were ones out of her control – he was probably right, he probably _was_ justified in his resentment… of her, of Lilly, of the world at large. Logan had a lot of things to be pissed about – and even though Veronica figured that she did too they didn't really compare to having your father kill your girlfriend. Yeah, Keith kept a gun, but he was more the scare-until-they-run-away type. Really, deep down – and only Veronica knew this – he was a big softie. Apparently Aaron was not.

Her dad's tendency toward marshmallow type behaviour only made Veronica feel worse about ignoring his very clear instructions to stay in Neptune for the weekend. It was with a wry twitch of her mouth that she realised he was going to find out about her little escapade anyway – when she turned up at home with no car. Joy.

Logan headed for the small shop to pay and Veronica slipped out of the car, wandering round the side of the building to the public restrooms. Not exactly the most wonderful of places but after fourteen hours of drowning herself in bottled water and sun who was she to argue? Relieved and refreshed Veronica patted down her damp face with some toilet paper, wiping off the remains of the almost-cold water she had splashed over it before heading back out to the car. Logan was still inside.

A few minutes later he strolled across the tarmac, pulling open the car door without embellishment.

Logan passed Veronica a paper bag – the top folded neatly over – as he slumped back into the driver's seat with a bag of his own. Still feeling too awful to be really hungry Veronica deposited the bag at her feet and watched as Logan pulled a can of soda and some chips out of his.

"You want me to drive?"

"Not particularly."

"You can't eat and drive at the same time, Logan."

"And you can't spare thirty minutes for chips and soda?" he asked incredulously.

Veronica sighed, "I want to get home at _some_ point."

"Well, I don't want to fall asleep at the wheel," he shot back.

"I said I'll dr—"

"Or have you drive my car," he finished.

"I don't know what you think I'm going to do to it," she was exasperated.

He ignored her cracking the seal on his can of soda, which happened to be a regular Coke. She grimaced faintly out of habit as her teeth ached with imagined cavities and sighed deeply for show, wriggling down in her seat with a slight pout as Logan began snacking. Veronica craned her neck back to stare up at the roof of the car, trying not to watch him. It was pointless, she decided, trying not to look at someone who was less than five feet from you – unless you had real issues with your peripheral vision then you were going to catch glimpses of their fingers and mouth and lips closing around the top edge of a can – none of which could really lead to a good place mentally. Especially if you had maybe, sort of dated them.

She sighed quietly in an attempt to loosen the building pressure in her chest and let her eyes close – waiting for him to finish. It was about twenty minutes later that Logan finally decided two and a half Snickers bars were enough for any human being and Veronica threw him a disapproving look as he chucked his empty Coke can out the X-Terra's electric window, letting it fall by the roadside.

"Gotta give the Weevils of the world something to pick up," he reasoned

Veronica's lips pursed automatically but she didn't say anything as she clicked her seatbelt back into place and they continued on their seemingly endless journey.

"You not gonna eat?"

"I still feel sick," she confessed – waiting for an inevitable remark about using her purse to hurl because it was cheaper than a sick bag.

"You could lie down in the back."

She raised a single eyebrow in response. That was it? Logan had informed her that she – Veronica Mars, Neptune High's widely proclaimed slut-of-the-year – could lie down on the backseat of his car… without making a crude, suggestive joke. In fact he was actually trying to help. Embarrassed slightly, but unwilling to show it, Logan flicked his gaze quickly back to the road.

"Thanks," she offered, "I think I'll be fine though."

He nodded without speaking.

Five minutes later Veronica reached down to retrieve her water bottle only to find it empty, as she replaced it in her bag the back of her hand grazed the paper bag Logan had given to her at the gas station. She pulled it into her lap, opening the folded top to peek inside.

Blinking once she let the bag drop back onto the floor, turning to Logan as she demanded, "Pull over."

"What?"

"Pull over," she repeated.

Logan narrowed his eyes at her suspiciously, slowing the car to a halt by the side of the road. Almost as soon as they'd stopped Veronica was unsnapping her seatbelt as she leaned over to grab his face in her hands, her lips parting against his shocked mouth heatedly. Her tongue stroked past his lips, quickly, desperately as her right hand tangled in his hair, her left slipping down to grasp Logan's shoulder firmly – trying to keep her balance.

Although his response to the kiss was fevered, Veronica had to admit that Logan looked royally pissed as they broke apart. She guessed he had reason.

"What the hell, Veronica?" he demanded sharply.

She swallowed, trying to slow her breathing, "Thank you."

"What?" he was flustered and confused and Veronica would bet that the fact she was still almost sitting in his lap wasn't helping Logan any. She pulled back into her own seat a hand running through her hair, trying to tame some of the mess Logan's hands had made.

"You got Skist," she shrugged.

Logan watched her incredulously for a moment.

She continued with a glowing smile, "It's my favourite—"

Veronica realised that her last word had been said into Logan's mouth as his tongue pressed very carefully against her lips, kissing her slowly as she opened her own mouth to him – leaning back into her seat so that he could brace himself awkwardly above her. Veronica pulled on his collar, his tongue moving deeper into the hollows and tender flesh inside her mouth.

She decided that there was definitely something to be said for giving into sensation when several minutes later she reluctantly pulled Logan away from his languorous exploration of her mouth, running a hand up his arm as she used his shoulder to pull herself back up in her seat.

"We should…" she nodded towards the road, clearing her throat uncomfortably.

"Right," he blinked, motioning a small nod of his own.

She glanced his way with a small grin once they were back on the road, "You didn't get M&Ms did you?"

Logan smirked to the road in front of him and looking into the bag Veronica figured that he was mentally kicking himself for the three packets of Starburst lining the bottom.

5.

Veronica didn't think that she had ever sat quietly with Logan for this long before – or possibly ever. Even when they had been up in arms over her 'betrayal' or his new persona that had quickly taken over, transforming Logan, Lilly's boyfriend into Logan, the institute of _bastard_, they had never been quiet about it. And okay, maybe quiet was better than hateful but she was still a little nervous – after all, kissing Logan wasn't the key to instant and undeniable happiness, if anything it was proof that acting on impulse is both fun and stupid.

Veronica looked up, catching Logan's eye as he looked away trying to hide the fact that he had been watching her at all. Veronica's first thought was something about how he should be keeping his eyes on the road – even if it was straight and even if there were no cars in sight. Her second thought was coy smile inducing as she tried oh so hard not to fall into the giddy trap of the teenage girl – but Logan was hot and he was funny and she had been kissing him not more than ten minutes ago. It was difficult not to be at least a little excited about the whole thing, normalcy was spread thin in Veronica's world and any small piece she could grasp hold of was going to be enjoyed.

He sighed against the heat and Veronica shifted so that she could lean forward to fiddle with the A/C again – despite the slowly darkening sky the temperature was still high. As she moved back Veronica let her hand fall onto Logan's knee, her thumb moving back and forth over the soft denim of his jeans. He threw her a careless smile and Veronica left her hand there. Slowly she moved her palm up his leg until it was settled a fraction higher on the bottom of his thigh, the sensation of her hand running up his leg caused Logan to tense – his chest held tight to keep from gasping.

His response knocked Veronica out of absentmindedness and she watched him carefully – a teasing grin spread across her lips – as she ran the hand higher.

"Hey," he breathed.

"Hi," her voice was all sweet and sugar and innocence, which almost made Veronica laugh because she didn't really feel, most days, like she had any kind of innocence left. That's what happened when you lost your virginity to a drugged-out rape and saw your best friend's murdered corpse in the same month. It sort of spoiled any happy candy flowery outlook you might have had on life.

Her hand had stopped moving and Logan's gaze looked concerned as Veronica realised the perturbed expression that was now gracing her features.

"I'm okay," she insisted, trying to convince herself as much as him.

"Are you ever going to trust anyone?" he asked.

"Huh?"

"What's wrong, Veronica?"

She shrugged, pulling her hand off his leg. Logan rolled his eyes and turned back to the road. Veronica's hand was hot and sticky and she missed the pressure of denim over flesh sitting under it – it was also kind of gross though and without thinking she leaned over and wiped the sweat off on his jeans.

Frowning Logan looked from his leg to her hand, "Excuse me?"

"What?"

"Do I look like a towel?"

A smile curled up Veronica's lips. "You're just so soft and fluffy," she ventured.

"Any time you want a rub down…" he smirked.

The silence that descended over the car was more amicable this time and Veronica found herself relieved that she and Logan had returned to laughter and cheap innuendos. At this rate she was going to have to finish that friendship bracelet when she got home – or maybe not quite, but still it felt good to just forget about the big, crazy mess that was waiting for her at home and kiss a boy in a car – to kiss _this_ boy in a car.

She shook her head, a wry grin plastered across her lips at the thought of herself almost _giggling_ over _Logan_. Back in the day she had been no stranger to laughing with him or listening giddily to Lilly's tales of debauchery – most of which included Logan in some capacity. They were teenage girls after all, it's what they did. But since Lilly had died and Veronica had found herself and Logan estranged the only kind of laughing she had done in regards to Logan was _at_ him.

It felt nice to have something from her old life back – something that hadn't been lost because of incestuous, homicidal mix-ups.

_So, this is it_, she thought, _this is what insanity feels like._

Veronica wasn't quite crazy enough to think that one kiss and a couple of smiles would be enough to fix one really, really convoluted relationship. But convoluted was her specialty and she could maybe just work this out step by step once they got back to Neptune. Spend the remaining weeks before school trying to figure out Logan and what he meant to her – once and for all. She _had_ to laugh at that.

6.

"We should stop," she said, "it's getting late." Veronica was suddenly not quite so anxious to get home after all. After all, there was Duncan, her dad, a murder trial, Lilly – lots and lots of Lilly left in Neptune – all waiting for her.

"We can't sleep in the car, Veronica – it's freezing."

Veronica rolled her eyes, pointing to the multitude of switches that controlled the car's heating system.

"Yes," Logan spoke slowly for her benefit, "and if we're not driving the battery will run flat and Duncan can pick us _both _up."

"Wait," she ordered, a flash from the ground outside catching her eye, "stop."

"No, Veronica."

"No, really, Logan – stop!"

Veronica was peering out of the window, squinting through the thick darkness to see something they had just passed. Reluctantly Logan slowed the car once more and it wasn't lost on Veronica that for someone so desperate to get home she had delayed their trip far more than Logan's snack break.

Hopping out of the car with a flashlight in hand she began to trudge through the dust.

"Veronica!" Logan didn't look happy, "Where the hell are you going?"

"I just – saw something…" she mumbled back, not really paying attention to him.

Finally her light flashed off of something on the ground and Veronica moved towards it, bending to retrieve the battered briefcase.

Logan caught up to her, "So… You came out here to pick up trash?"

"This," she explained with a smile, "belongs to my good friend Mr. Anthony." She shone the flashlight over the lock where a small 'RA' was neatly engraved.

"Uh huh?" Logan obviously didn't get the reference.

"The guy I was tailing."

"And you're this excited, because?"

"Because now the trip wasn't a complete waste, my dad can't be as pissed," she turned to face him, "and whatever's in there may very well lead to my tuition fees for next year."

Logan shoved his hands deep into his pockets, "So, before this the trip was a _complete_ waste."

"Yup."

"Great," she could hear the sarcasm coursing through his voice.

"We didn't have to be in the desert to make out, Logan. In fact it probably would have been a lot better if we hadn't been, and I wasn't cranky and dehydrated and sunburnt."

"Actually, I thought it was kind of hot," he edged closer to her, "out here, where no one can interrupt."

Veronica shivered as Logan pressed his mouth to hers, warm and wet and soft against her tongue – an opposing force to the bitter cold making her teeth chatter against his lips.

Before Logan nobody had ever really considered Veronica 'hot' and if they had then they certainly hadn't let her know about it. Except Troy and in all honestly he was just looking for a direct route into her pants. Okay, she mused, so Logan was probably looking for a pretty direct route into her pants too, but she would admit, a little anxiously, that she was okay with that. And if his hand slid down her waist a little more she would be okay with that too. It was only once Veronica had finished these thoughts that she realised her hand was now up the inside of Logan's shirt, herself pressed up close to him as the cold made her nipples stand out against his chest. Panting slightly she pulled away, wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the chill.

"You know what, Veronica Mars? I think I like you," he grinned into her cheek before picking up the briefcase and pulling her back towards the car.

"Get in the back," she requested as they reached the X-Terra.

"What?"

"Come on, Logan, I'm not usually this direct, just get in the back," she pleaded.

The doors closed and she was kissing him again. It vaguely registered in Veronica's mind that it was stupid to start messing around with Logan in the back of his car, miles from anywhere. Sure, she could – and probably should – wait until the setting was a little more appropriate than it had been her first time. It wasn't like this was going to be the last time she was ever turned on, but Veronica had a sudden need for it to be now. Where there was no nostalgia or memories, where everything was fun and impulsive and she knew for a fact – thanks to her little first-aid case incident – that he kept condoms stashed in the glove compartment. It just _fitted_, Veronica had a choice this time – and she was going to use it, she thought, as she pulled Logan down over her, his lips pulling at her throat with a sucking pressure. She had a choice and it didn't have anything to do with ex-girlfriends or boyfriends or dead best friends – that was nice.

Things like time blurred a lot for Veronica, it was dim in the car – the only light coming from the rear view mirror and a few small low-key lights in the back. It wasn't really until Logan pulled himself off of her to grab a condom that Veronica realised quite how far they'd gone – yeah, her intention had been sex, but a lump still formed at the back of her throat, her eyes darting to the floor where her underwear must be. It was still intimidating, even for the infamous Veronica Mars – Veronica the girl with no fear. Except that she _did_ have fears, and although logically she knew that she couldn't wake up alone if she didn't fall asleep Veronica was pretty sure that there were worse forms of rejection, and that if anyone knew them, Logan knew them.

But he was kissing her again and he was warm and solid, his body felt dependable and his voice sounded concerned – low and thick and Veronica pretty much didn't care from that point on because his hand had already been down her pants, he'd already seen her naked, she'd already said yes and the ache between her legs was almost throbbing.

Logan was barely touching her anymore as he gave her one last chance to back out, "Veronica…"

"Just – go slow," she gasped, her hips squirming up against him. She felt like she might _die_ if he didn't just touch her – now.

The look Logan gave her made it very clear to Veronica that she was asking a lot of uncomfortable backseat sex. He wasn't exactly insensitive to her issues, but he was seventeen and he hadn't had sex in God knows how long – and Veronica was pretty sure that caught up in the moment he'd probably forgotten that it was only her second time, the first time that she would actually remember. Just as Veronica started to get really, truly nervous it was too late to change her mind because Logan was pressing into her, slowly, slowly, slowly. It didn't hurt – man she had ached the morning after Shelly's party – but it was kind of uncomfortable, like every inch had to make room for itself that didn't exist inside her.

His hand reached out to trail the inside to outside of her leg from knee to the joint of her hip. Veronica shivered against his fingers, her muscles straining into tense lines of anticipation. His palm came to rest clammily on her thigh, gripping slightly as Logan's tongue moved deeper in her mouth. She moaned unconsciously, stretching out beneath him as best she could in the cramped circumstances.

"This would be easier with you on top," he groaned.

Veronica blushed, covering any modesty as she panted out, "I like this, actually."

"You would," he grinned, "lazy."

She caught his mouth with hers then, pushing her tongue past his teeth – letting it quickly run the roof of his mouth – pressing roughly against Logan's tongue. He nipped at her bottom lip, swollen from friction, with his teeth and Veronica made a small noise of discomfort her tongue moving out of his mouth to run the length of her own lip. Logan tried to continue kissing her, in vain.

"That hurt."

"Kiss it better, then," he instructed, letting the hand gripping the outside of her thigh move a little higher. Veronica tried to control the shudder that grabbed her legs involuntarily as his hand continued its ascent – regarding Logan with disbelief as best she could.

"Next time don't bite me."

"You'll be retracting that statement soon," he moaned surely.

A good few thrusts later and the lack of space was beginning to get to Logan as his leg started to cramp, "Jump up."

"Huh?" Veronica murmured.

"For real, Veronica, unless you want my leg to fall off – shift."

"Fine," she gritted, a low groan ripping itself carefully from her gut as she began to move with Logan still partly inside her.

Her mouth was still stretched open as she began to settle on top of him. "So, that would be why people change positions," she moaned softly into his ear, letting her knees fall either side of his hips – pressing into the firm leather seat beneath them as she pushed herself full down onto him again.

"Pretty much," he gasped.

She grinned into his shoulder, "I'm a fan."

Taking a deep breath Veronica moved into a sitting position, Logan's hands clamping down on her hips to steady her. "Okay," she breathed, pulling herself up, swollen flesh dragging along the length of his dick. Once, twice, Veronica's hips twisted accidentally on the third downward thrust and Logan's head rocked back so hard it hit the car door. She did it again. Logan bit out a low groan, wriggling slightly down the sticky interior so that he was flat out on his back in a hopeless attempt to save the back of his head.

Veronica's hands were planted firmly on his chest for added balance and her fingers dug tightly into the muscles as Logan moved beneath her. She had misjudged this 'on-top' thing, it was working out nicely.

7.

Veronica breathed heavily into his chest; legs spread immodestly where they lay, one foot propped gently on Logan's ankle to stop it slipping off the seat. Her eyelashes batted very gently against his skin and she could feel his breath coming in short, slowing pants that rustled her hair. Logan's heart beat was rapid through his ribcage as her face lay against him, firm muscle manipulated by the excited fluttering that was gradually slowing down.

"Hi."

"Hey."

"So…" she brushed her bangs out of her face, "we should get home."

"Yeah," he agreed somewhat half-heartedly.

Veronica pulled herself up and off Logan, perching herself on the seat by the end of his legs. Logan still didn't move or open his eyes.

"Are you going to move?" she asked, grabbing her bra.

"Nope," he mumbled in response.

"Well, that's real handy, Logan."

"Just give me a minute…"

Veronica sighed, "Sure." Once her bra was carefully fastened behind her, she could help letting one hand fall just above his stomach as she leaned down to kiss him.

Logan's eyes opened as he gave her a warning look, "Do you _want_ to get home?"

She rolled her eyes in response.

"Well, give me a minute or I'll fall asleep at the wheel," he grumbled.

"Don't be an idiot, Logan, give me the keys."

"You can still use your legs?" he grinned at her.

Veronica scowled back good-naturedly, there was already a hollow ache in her thighs and she knew that she would be stiff tomorrow. But yes, she _could_ still use her legs, thanks.

"Give me the keys," she demanded with an annoyed smile.

Logan was reluctant as he groped around on the car floor for his pants, "I'm fine."

"Logan—" she was going to say something about the fact that he had been driving all day and most of the night, that he must be tired, but he cut her off.

"Fully recovered, stamina intact, thank you," he cocked an eyebrow, daring her to push the matter.

Veronica ignored him, finished pulling on her t-shirt and clutched his shoulders, leaning over for a lazy kiss – her lips pressing carelessly into his. Logan's hand ran the length of her back and pulling away ever so slightly Veronica mumbled into his mouth, "Thank you."

"It wasn't a favour," he replied, pressing one more quick kiss to her partly open lips before moving away to pull on his clothes.

Veronica sat back in her t-shirt and panties, jeans bunched up somewhere on the floor, as she let herself appreciate the soft, boneless warm that had spread through her body.

8.

In stark contrast to the start of their journey the spacious SUV now felt much too large to Veronica, who was desperate to keep touching Logan – to make sure that he couldn't leave. Hello, abandonment issues. Logan shifted gear and let his hand fall onto her knee, giving it a quick squeeze to try and quell the anxious expression that Veronica hadn't been aware she was wearing. She smiled back, even though it wasn't perfect, and he seemed content enough to focus fully on the road again, stealing glances on the clear stretches.

_This was strange_, Veronica thought to herself, _good, but most definitely strange_. In their few weeks sneaking around she had never managed to get used to Logan Echolls looking at her like he adored her. And, if the very girly part of Veronica was every allowed to admit it then she would have to say that it made her adore him a little more, herself. The fact that he didn't really care if she knew, that he was happy she knew, that he was happy at all. Veronica found her awkward smile growing more genuine.

Fifteen minutes more and they passed the 'Welcome to Neptune' sign. It would only be a short while before they were outside of Veronica's apartment and she turned to watch Logan carefully – his hair dishevelled, eyes a little red from staying awake. It made her want to smile harder as he leaned one arm casually on the open window, he wasn't on guard at all.

Veronica figured now was as good a time as any to see if she was forgiven. "Are you still mad?"

"Yeah," he replied without hesitation, "making out in my car isn't going to just fix everything, Veronica."

"What about the sex?" she tried lightly.

He smiled at her attempt, "Not that easy."

Veronica took a small breath as she replied, "Okay."

"You're still mad at me," he shrugged.

"What?"

"For last year, you're still pissed about it," he clarified.

Veronica started to look defensive. "I'm not."

"You thought I raped you, Veronica," he stated, almost matter-of-factly.

"I'm a little pissed," she admitted.

"And it never stopped us."

"Didn't help any," she pointed out, thinking of the tangle they'd managed to get themselves caught in over the past few months.

"Yeah, well, like anything around here's easy."

"Just you," she smiled.

His returning smile was quiet as she climbed out of the car, stopping by his window before she ventured up to her apartment.

"So," Logan hesitated from his seat, "I guess I'll call you."

Veronica grinned back at him, starting to slowly walk backward towards her apartment, "You'd better."

"I will," he smirked, "We might even go out on a date one of these days."

Veronica continued to shuffle back. "Well, wouldn't that be traditional," she beamed. Her hand came up into a half-wave, and Logan drove away.

Still smiling Veronica looked at the briefcase by her feet. Shower, sleep, crack a small time coke ring, wait for Logan to call, homework, eat – for the first time in a good long time Veronica was actually looking forward to the day ahead.

_Well, Ro__d_, she thought as she carried the beaten case into her apartment, _hope you look good in jumpsuit-orange._


End file.
